How hard is it to find dog-friendly housing?

[Neuro178]

I would like to get the opinions of some current dental students regarding owning a dog during dental school.

I am a huuuge pet lover, always had dogs growing up, worked at PetSmart for several years, and now I am restricted to a fish in my dorm. I really miss having a dog around the house, so I am hoping to get a puppy the summer before dental school. I have no idea where I'm going to end up, btw. I would train the dog during the summer, and I plan on getting a mini-dachshund (my parents have two right now.. check the avatar!) and litter training it. Yes, they can be litter trained! (I even litter box trained my rabbit when I was younger.) There's a whole line of dog-litter boxes and litter out there (the wonders of working at a pet store) . So, he would have the freedom to "go" when he wanted, and being a small dog, an apartment would be big enough for him.

So my question is... How hard is it to find dog-friendly housing in cities??

If any of you have had to look for apartments that allow dogs, please tell me how hard it was to find them, and if they were much more expensive than non-pet friendly apartments.

Thanks, guys!!

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[KOM]

It's much more difficult to find a place that allows dogs. I've found that when I finally find a place I really like either they don't allow dogs or less-likely, they do with a $300 non-refundable pet deposit and an extra $5-$50 charge tacked on to rent.

Smaller breeds like your potential dachsund will make it a bit easier, but not much. I have a dog under 20lbs myself and it was still a pain in the neck to find a deal worth while.

 

[Kanowlees]

I agree with KOM, it was a little easier for me to find places that allowed dogs, but most want a huge pet deposit and monthly fees.
Good luck.

 

[Neuro178]

Hmm... pretty much what I had expected. Thank you for your replies! Any one else want to share their experience??

Sometimes I think the extra money would be worth it to have a fuzzy little companion to come home to.

 

[JamieMac]

If you plan to stay in the same location for all 4 years, a fee of $300 amounts to $6.25/month...which really isn't much when you consider the value. I was adamant about renting a house with a fenced in yard for my dog. Several of the houses I looked at were very receptive to me having a dog even when they didn't advertise that they accepted them...so always ask. The landlord of the house I rented was initially VERY skeptical about me bringing my 4 year old Bullmastiff, but once he met her it was all good! And...get this, no deposit required...he wasn't aware of the fee that most places charge. Good luck - dogs are well worth it!

 

[meowx3]

i've heard of people lying about their dog's weight in order to live in a specific apartment. . .say the apt says dogs under 40 lbs are fine, but the dog was 50 lbs. they just said it was under. it's not like anyone weighs the dog. if it's an obvious difference, of course, that won't work.

my boyfriend (nondental student) has a large dog, and he and his friend rent a house with a large yard. works well for them, rent was cheap (house is sort of rundown, though), in a decent area. it wasn't hard to find; i think they got it off of craigslist.

 

[mamelons]

I think the difficulty in finding a place that allows pets will depend on where you end up. In San Antonio, all of the apartment complexes I looked at allowed pets up to a certain limit and obviously no aggressive breeds. The complex I am in right now I believe is a $200-250 non-refundable pet deposit... not a bad deal if you plan on living in the same apartment for more than a year.

 

[Lopyswine]

the issue isn't how hard it is to find a apartment that will allow dog, but rather how can bear to leave a pet alone for 10 hours a day?

you are a self proclaimed dog lover and you don't find a problem leaving a dog alone in an apartment for that long? Even if it can be trained to use the litter box, it will still be all alone.

What about on nights when you are stuck on campus from 8am till late that night with lab work and study groups.....

 

[Neuro178]

the issue isn't how hard it is to find a apartment that will allow dog, but rather how can bear to leave a pet alone for 10 hours a day?

you are a self proclaimed dog lover and you don't find a problem leaving a dog alone in an apartment for that long? Even if it can be trained to use the litter box, it will still be all alone.

What about on nights when you are stuck on campus from 8am till late that night with lab work and study groups.....

Yes, I have considered the fact that they will be home alone for quite some time. Before I choose to get a dog, I'm going to secure housing that allows dogs, and hopefully it will be close to the school so I can stop by during lunch to check on it. I've heard of many people doing this. Also, it is important to note that most Americans have pets, and many people work full-time. Thus, most pets are left on their own for quite some time. I don't like the idea, but I think the dog will be fine. My dog is alone for 9 hours a day while my mom is at work, and he is still a well-adjusted, happy little guy. Actually, this was a common thing that people used to ask me at PetSmart.. "what can I leave my pet to entertain him durign the day?" So, I've got a lot of knowledge about those sorts of things. I also tend to study in my room.. I prefer it over the library or anywhere else. Not trying to ruffle any feathers, just wanted to show that I have thought a lot about this and have done my homework.


Thanks to everyone for your feedback!!

 

[vlct0ria]

My boyfriend of 6 years and I have a golden retriever, and we're planning on bringing her when we move to wherever I end up going. For a lot of people, pets are a part of the family...you wouldn't leave your child behind because you were going to be busy with dental school would you? She will be home alone a lot, but she's a very happy dog and very well-behaved even for long periods of time. When you're searching for apartments, just exclude those that don't accept pets from the beginning. Don't even leave the possibility of your dogs not being accepted, that way you won't "fall in love" with any places that aren't an option.

 

[BadgerLoveSmile]

Just sharing my experience...I live in downtown Madison, WI and it is pretty hard to find a decent apartment that will allow you to have a dog. I opted for the riskier solution and got a dog, 2 in fact, without telling my landlord. It has worked out so far *knock on wood* My dogs are only 5 lbs each however. And we don't allow them to bark. We changed apartments when our lease was up to one that allows cats so we can argue our case if our landlord finds out. But we arent telling them because we dont want to pay a fee.

Just my two cents.

 

[tinker bell]

I paid $300 in undergrad at UCD & the landlord installed a pet door for my Bichon Frisee. San Francisco was more difficult to find housing & university housing did not allow any pet so I could not bring any. The benefit of having a dog is huge so just pay a few hundred extra bucks if the dog makes you happy. The key to success in dental school is your happiness. I wished I had a dog for all that 4 yrs. Yeah, they can be litter box trained. I got a puppy already litter box trained from a very good breeder and I was very happy.

 

[fusedtometal]

Hmm... pretty much what I had expected. Thank you for your replies! Any one else want to share their experience??

Sometimes I think the extra money would be worth it to have a fuzzy little companion to come home to.

If you suffer from any kind of disability or mental problems, talk to a clinician about letters they can write for you. Service and companion animals are both exempt from no pets housing.

 

[aphistis]

If you suffer from any kind of disability or mental problems, talk to a clinician about letters they can write for you. Service and companion animals are both exempt from no pets housing.

What exactly is a "companion animal"? That includes pretty much every pet I can think of.

 

[fusedtometal]

What exactly is a "companion animal"? That includes pretty much every pet I can think of.

You're right, I think the official term is emotional support animal.

The Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act protect the right of people with disabilities to keep emotional support animals, even when a landlord's policy explicitly prohibits pets. Because emotional support and service animals are not "pets," but rather are considered to be more like assistive aids such as wheelchairs, the law will generally require the landlord to make an exception to its "no pet" policy so that a tenant with a disability can fully use and enjoy his or her dwelling. In most housing complexes, so long as the tenant has a letter or prescription from an appropriate professional, such as a therapist or physician, and meets the definition of a person with a disability, he or she is entitled to a reasonable accommodation that would allow an emotional support animal in the apartment.

 

[KOM]

FusedtoMetal - Quick Q - not to sidetrack the original post, but are HIV+ individuals recognized under the disability act? Just wondering.

 

[fusedtometal]

Yes, that is covered under the ADA.

 

[harrygt]

In LA [and almost Cali] you can always find apartments where they allow you to have your pets at home. The rent does not differ though, unless you have a greedy landlord.